The emotions of every creature in the room blasted against Natalya. Behind her, she sensed anger from Diana and Cassius and sadness from Flea. Varro was attentive, Dominic excited, and Stefano aroused. He got off on the fear, and Natalya breathed it in to fill her with dark anger. She let his Lust satiate her, though it made her feel sick.
She moved her gaze upwards, finding Stefano’s eyes. Having fed from his desire, her irises would no longer be all scarlet as they were when she was spent or furious. Her gaze summonedfear in the vampire, though she had to push hard to produce the feeling. It seemed Stefano wasn’t afraid of much.
He would be afraid of her.
Stefano took a quick step back, eyes wide. His pants were partially opened.
“With all due respect…” Natalya turned to Varro, speaking with as much politeness as she could muster. “I am not one for feeding for an audience. My satiation is not entertainment. Unless you want your progeny to make a mess, tell him to pack it away and sit back down.”
Dominic leaned forward. “King, I must object. She’s just—”
Natalya’s eyes snapped to his, and she only had to push slightly to instill terror in the man, making him reel back in his seat.
She didn’t like warlocks. They possessed the skill to enslave her and others like her. The lustful, sadistic glint in Dominic’s eyes meant shedespisedhim. She knew that look. The stare of a man who wanted to own her.
Natalya looked back at Evelyn. She was still on all fours, forehead pressed to the floor again, and taking in shallow, shuddering breaths. By how Stefano was looking at her, Natalya’s interruption had only delayed the inevitable. He’d take her the second Natalya left the room.
“I would ask a favor, Varro,” she continued. “When we take our rest, I would like Evelyn with me. We face a long journey tomorrow, and having such a responsive girl to feed on before we go would certainly assist.”
Varro narrowed his eyes. There was something about this he didn’t care for. Maybe he didn’t like denying his favorite spawn, or maybe he just didn’t like others playing with his things.
“You’re coming off awfully hesitant,” Natalya said. “I just agreed to stay the daylight in your home and to release guiltyprisoners into your custody. And then you balk at the idea of lending me a slave. Your lack of trust is borderline insulting.”
“Of course we trust you.” Varro waved an angry Stefano away. “She’s yours for the day, Natalya.”
Natalya almost smiled. Convincing him provided some dark satisfaction, and it gave her back a sense of control.
Evelyn pulled up her underwear and returned to the other slaves sitting at the back of the room. She didn’t look at them, or anyone else, when she sat down, but Natalya noticed how the other humans leaned away from her as though she’d been tainted by being given attention.
The sight stung. Natalya may have given this woman relief for a day, but what awaited her when it was over? And not just her, but what torture would these other souls have to face?
There had been necessity in this meeting with the Night King of the Heartlands. Yet, Natalya couldn’t help but feel her presence had made everything worse.
Chapter 2
Evie was doing her best to remain calm. She’d been taken to one of the guest rooms to await her temporary owner, and she was on the verge of panicking. Why did Dominic have to pick her to entertain and not someone else? If she hadn’t danced, Natalya would have never even looked at her.
Now she was forced to wait behind a locked door for that doom of a woman.
For hours she’d be Natalya’s. For hours, Natalya wouldfeedon her, whatever the hell that meant. At least with vampires, Evie knew what to expect. She could prepare herself for it and shut down before it happened. This was new. Awfully new.
What was it Natalya had said? That there’d be a mess? Worse than when Stefano fed on her even? He’d gotten the habit of using tools other than his teeth to open her up before drinking from her.
Pushing down the fear, Evie arranged herself in a somewhat inviting pose on the bed. She was still in the red lingerie, the lacematching nicely with her green eyes and the black silk sheets. She rolled over on her side so she could show off her body when Natalya came in.
She did notwantto show off. She wanted to hide from that woman and her strange, horrible gaze, but then Natalya would report her to Varro as insufficient entertainment. That thought was more frightening.
When the door finally opened to allow Natalya entry, Evie put on a sweet smile that withered the second Natalya looked at her. Her eyes shined scarlet, and the fear Evie had tried to suppress surged into her chest. She quickly looked at the floor.
“I’m here to serve you.” Evie’s voice was little more than a squeak.
Natalya was dead quiet, and the silence was almost worse than looking at her and then at least having an idea if she was upset or not.
Evie wasn’t selling this right. Natalya would be disappointed, and then she’d get angry. Evie knew what happened when these monsters got angry. People died when that happened, or they wished they had.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Natalya’s voice was firm and assertive. The words heightened Evie’s fear.
Shortly after Stefano procured her for Varro, a guest had told her the exact same thing. He’d had her for hours. By the end, her throat was so raw from screaming she couldn’t make any noise.
